Survivorship Care After Cancer Treatment

The care you receive after cancer treatment is an important part of your continued health and wellbeing. Survivorship care helps survivors and their families understand what to expect after treatment and plan for follow-up care.

What You Can Expect:

Survivorship Visit & Care Plan:

• Come Prepared: Consider bringing a list of questions with you
• Cancer Screening & Prevention: Your treatment team will provide you with a personalized follow up plan for screening and prevention of new or other cancers.
• Management of ongoing effects of treatment: It’s important to discuss any new changes with your treatment team.
• Recommendations for healthy lifestyle changes: We want you to remain healthy and reduce your risk of developing additional health problems in the future.
• Supporting your psychosocial needs: We want to help you access resources to support your emotional health, relationships and financial needs.

Long-Term Physical Effects of Treatment

Common physical side effects:

• Fatigue or difficulty sleeping
• Weight changes or changes in eating habits
• Headaches or vision changes
• Pain, numbness or tingling
• Learning, memory and attention difficulties
• Hot flashes, night sweats
• Incontinence
• Digestive issues
• Dryness or skin changes
• Swelling of extremities or lymphedema
• Sexual or reproductive problems

Emotional Health

While many patients look forward to ending treatment and entering a new phase, it is normal to struggle while adjusting to changes that occur after treatment.

Common Emotional Effects:

• Fear of recurrence
• Survivor guilt
• Changes in sexual desire or body image
• Changes in relationships with others
• Overwhelmed by everyday stressors

Receiving emotional support during and after a cancer diagnosis may be helpful to you. It is healthy to reflect and share feelings and experiences with people you trust, such as your healthcare team, family or friends. It is also important to recognize when your emotional needs require professional or specialized support.

Financial and Insurance Concerns

Worrying about finances is common during and after cancer treatment. Many factors contribute to financial distress, including managing living expenses and medical costs related to your care. Recognizing and navigating the impact of these financial concerns can be overwhelming. Talking with a social worker about financial resources and support may be helpful.

Common financial effects:

• Concerns about paying medical bills
• Difficulty finding health insurance
• Managing living expenses
• Affording medications

Wellness & Healthy Lifestyle After Cancer

Reclaiming control of your nutrition, stress levels, and physical activity are positive measures to regain a sense of balance after your experience with cancer.

Healthy habits:

• Stress reduction practices like meditation, journaling, listening to music, crafting, gardening
• Speaking with a registered dietitian to discuss your nutritional goals
• Adding physical activity to your daily routine
• Getting enough sleep at night
• Limiting alcohol use
• Asking for help to quit tobacco or other addictive behaviors or drugs
• It is important to speak with your healthcare provider before starting an exercise program.

Speak to your healthcare care team if you are interested in meeting with a registered dietitian, learning about our tobacco cessation program or other resources to support healthy lifestyle changes.